Since the early 1960""s with the introduction of multi-level autorack structures which transport automobiles and other vehicles on flatcars, railroads have gained substantial market share from highway carriers. Railroads purchase the rack structure which is applied to a flatcar provided to that railroad. The racks are built to carry either two or three levels of vehicles, depending on rail clearances and the heights of vehicles being transported. Auto sizes and industry requirements have changed over time and rack designs have evolved from simple, open frames to complex, fully-enclosed structures. As a result there are now several different flatcar types in this service, all of which have hydraulic end-of-car cushioning. The autorack railcar of conventional construction has side walls are actually screens having many holes therethrough for air and light and to protect against flying objects which could injure the automobiles in transit. The walls are supported by posts or struts.
There is a need in the autorack freight car industry to provide protection to the automobiles being transported. It is common for one of the doors of an automobile to swing open during transport, colliding with one of the side walls of the autorack freight car and causing expensive damage to the door of the vehicle. This same type of damage can also be caused by the careless opening of the car door after it has been driven onto the freight car, or later on when it is time to remove the vehicle.
Prior art techniques for cushioning and protecting the edges of car doors from any impact with the walls of the autorack freight cars are expensive and time-consuming to properly mount. Furthermore, prior art systems of this nature require protruding material that restrict the ability of the workers to do their jobs. The invention is an improvement over such prior art systems as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,311,823 to Rudebaugh et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,762,001 to Dworakowski. It is the object of the present invention to provide a large degree of protection along the side walls of an autorack freight car at a low cost and with ease of installation.
The improvements adapt the method and apparatus to additional unique considerations and improve certain aspects of the product as to the environment in which it is used, particularly as to providing improved installation, economy and operation recognizing the particular needs of door edge protection as distinguished from more complex solutions that are derived from more traditional rail car product protection principles which are then wasteful of resources and provide unnecessary and complex systems for the door edge protection task.
In order to accomplish this objective, the present invention provides a door edge protection system to be applied to the inside surface of the walls of conventional autorack railcars. More particularly, the present invention is directed toward the easy application of a foam protector of single or double tube configuration to the side portions of the metal screen walls of autorack railcars. The tubes are designed to protect the edges of car doors by providing a cushion which will partially collapse when hit by the car door and resiliently return to its tubular shape regardless of temperature.
The original door edge protection system of this invention is for conventional auto track railcars for transporting automobiles. The railcars have side walls with holes therethrough to permit passage of light and air. This door edge protection system includes a resilient foam cushioning material covering a portion of at least one of the railcar side walls at the level of the doors of the automobiles being transported so that when the door of an automobile is opened, the material would be positioned between the door and the railcar side wall covered by said material for cushioning and protecting the automobile door edge against impact with the railcar side wall. Penetrating fasteners are provided for securing fastening the cushioning means to the innersurface of the side walls of the railcar. Each of the fasteners has a leg extending through the cushioning material and preferably through a slot cut in the cushioning material and into at least one of the holes in the railcar side wall. The fastener leg has a locking formation for permitting it to pass through the hole in the railcar side wall but resiliently engaging the exterior of the side wall and locking the fastener in place after the fastener leg has passed through the hole in the side wall.
It is a feature of this invention that at least one end of the cushioning material is rolled into a tube and another portion of the foam material extends tangentially out from the tube, providing a flat surface which is attached to the interior side wall of the railcar by means of the aforementioned fasteners. In the preferred embodiment, both ends of the foam material are rolled to form a pair of substantially parallel coextensive tubes which are spaced apart by a flat portion of material that forms the attachment means to the side wall of the railcar by means of the fasteners.
The single or double tube configuration is used in conjunction with a separate flat piece of foam protector of varying width to be mounted over the railcar posts to offer protection for various heights of door trim.
The cushioning door edge protection system is installed by specially designed plastic push-pin fasteners that attach to the metal screen walls of conventional autorack railcars. These fasteners are easy to install but very difficult to remove. Multiple slots for the placement of the plastic fasteners are provided along the foam cushioning to allow for ample fastening flexibility.
A modified version of the door edge protection invention has an improved structure that enables elimination of the double tube on the lower deck of the autorack car and use of a single tube on all levels. An improved backing sheet bond or weld, and a less dense foam insert in the tube provide increased protection under door edge protection conditions, with improved economy and utility. The higher density, outer foam layer further has a coating to provided added durability and door edge protection. Additional features of the modified version include an improved fastener, and an added protection component mountable in that portion of the car that does not have fastener receivable openings.
These features and advantages, as well as others which inhere in the various embodiments of the invention, will be more fully appreciated after a reading of the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the following drawings, also described below.